158. （一五八）头那经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Śrāvastī, staying at the Jeta Grove Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, the Brāhman Dhona was wandering about in the middle of the day, and went to where the Buddha was. They exchanged greetings and Dhona sat down to one side. The World Honored One asked, "Dhona, if someone asks you if you are a Brāhman, how would you describe yourself?"

The Brāhman Dhona replied, "Gautama, if one truly describes a Brāhman, it is someone who is raised by parents, born pure, with parents for seven generations without interruption, born without evil, learned and retentive, reciting the four Vedas, and deeply understanding the five statements of cause, condition, truth, text, and play. Gautama, I am truly a Brāhman. Why is that? I am raised by parents, born pure, with parents for seven generations without interruption, born without evil, learned and retentive, reciting the four Vedas, and deeply understanding the five statements of cause, condition, truth, text, and play."

The World Honored One said, "Dhona, I will ask you a question. Please answer as you see fit. Dhona, what do you think? If there were Brāhman ascetics in the past who passed away after their life ended, who recited and upheld the scriptures, spread the scriptures, and recited the scriptures, namely, the Yatha, the Bhama, the Bhamadeva, the Visamitra, the Yathaganina, the Angirasa, the Vasishtha, the Kasyapa, the Bharadvaja, and the Bhavya, these five kinds of Brāhman ascetics were established. Which of these five kinds of Brāhman ascetics are you like?"

Dhona said, "Gautama, please briefly explain this meaning without going into detail. I cannot understand it. I only wish that the Śramaṇa Gautama would explain it well so that I may understand the meaning."

The World Honored One said, "Dhona, listen carefully and think about it well. I will explain it in detail for you."

Dhona said, "Yes, Gautama!" The Dhona Brahmins listened to the teachings.

The Buddha said, "Dhona, how is a brahmin like Brahma? If a brahmin is raised by his parents, born pure, and his parents' lineage is unbroken for seven generations, and he has no evil in his births, he practices the brahmacarya for forty-eight years, wishing to obtain the scriptures and recite the sutras. Having obtained the scriptures and recited the sutras, he seeks wealth to support his teacher, in accordance with the Dharma, not contrary to the Dharma. How is it contrary to the Dharma? Not farming, not commerce, not writing, not calculation, not counting, not sealing, not calligraphy, not literature, not sutras, not poetry, not using weapons, not serving the king. Seeking wealth in accordance with the Dharma, he offers the wealth to support his teacher. Having made the offering, his mind is filled with loving-kindness, pervading one direction, and he dwells in accomplishment. Thus, in the second, third, fourth directions, the four intermediate directions, above and below, his mind is filled with loving-kindness, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without contention, extremely vast, extremely great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and he dwells in accomplishment. Thus, with compassion and joy, his mind is filled with equanimity, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without contention, extremely vast, extremely great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and he dwells in accomplishment. Dhona, such a brahmin is like Brahma.

Dhona, how is a brahmin like the gods? If a brahmin is raised by his parents, born pure, and his parents' lineage is unbroken for seven generations, and he has no evil in his births, he practices the brahmacarya for forty-eight years, wishing to obtain the scriptures and recite the sutras. Having obtained the scriptures and recited the sutras, he seeks wealth to support his teacher, in accordance with the Dharma, not contrary to the Dharma. How is it contrary to the Dharma? Not farming, not commerce, not writing, not calculation, not counting, not sealing, not calligraphy, not literature, not sutras, not poetry, not using weapons, not serving the king. Seeking wealth in accordance with the Dharma, he offers the wealth to support his teacher. Having made the offering, he practices good conduct with the body, speech, and mind. Having practiced good conduct with the body, speech, and mind, he, due to this cause and condition, upon the dissolution of the body and the end of life, will certainly ascend to a good realm of existence and be reborn in a heavenly realm. Dhona, such a brahmin is like the gods.

Dhona, how is a brahmin not beyond the boundaries? If a brahmin is raised by his parents, born pure, and his parents' lineage is unbroken for seven generations, and he has no evil in his births, he practices the brahmacarya for forty-eight years, wishing to obtain the scriptures and recite the sutras. Having obtained the scriptures and recited the sutras, he seeks wealth to support his teacher, in accordance with the Dharma, not contrary to the Dharma. How is it contrary to the Dharma? Not farming, not commerce, not writing, not calculation, not counting, not sealing, not calligraphy, not literature, not sutras, not poetry, not using weapons, not serving the king. Seeking wealth in accordance with the Dharma, he offers the wealth to support his teacher. Having made the offering, he seeks a wife for himself, in accordance with the Dharma, not contrary to the Dharma. How is it contrary to the Dharma? A brahmin does not have such intentions towards a brahmin woman, causing them to love each other, to unite and come together. He seeks a brahmin woman, not a non-brahmin woman, nor a kshatriya woman, who is not pregnant, who does not give birth. Dhona, why does a brahmin not seek a pregnant woman? So that the man and woman are not called impure and lustful. Therefore, a brahmin does not seek a pregnant woman. Dhona, why does a brahmin not seek a woman who gives birth? So that the man and woman are not called impure and angry. Therefore, a brahmin does not seek a woman who gives birth. Dhona, what they seek is not for wealth, not for pride, not for adornment, not for decoration, but only for children. Having given birth to a child, if there are the vows, places, and boundaries of the brahmins, they abide in them, uphold them, and do not go beyond them. Dhona, such a brahmin is not beyond the boundaries.

Dhona, how is a brahmin beyond the boundaries? If a brahmin is raised by his parents, born pure, and his parents' lineage is unbroken for seven generations, and he has no evil in his births, he practices the brahmacarya for forty-eight years, wishing to obtain the scriptures and recite the sutras. Having obtained the scriptures and recited the sutras, he seeks wealth to support his teacher, in accordance with the Dharma, not contrary to the Dharma. How is it contrary to the Dharma? Not farming, not commerce, not writing, not calculation, not counting, not sealing, not calligraphy, not literature, not sutras, not poetry, not using weapons, not serving the king. Seeking wealth in accordance with the Dharma, he offers the wealth to support his teacher. Having made the offering, he seeks a wife for himself, in accordance with the Dharma, not contrary to the Dharma. How is it contrary to the Dharma? A brahmin does not have such intentions towards a brahmin woman, causing them to love each other, to unite and come together. He seeks a brahmin woman, not a non-brahmin woman, nor a kshatriya woman, who is not pregnant, who does not give birth. Dhona, why does a brahmin not seek a pregnant woman? So that the man and woman are not called impure and lustful. Therefore, a brahmin does not seek a pregnant woman. Dhona, why does a brahmin not seek a woman who gives birth? So that the man and woman are not called impure and angry. Therefore, a brahmin does not seek a woman who gives birth. Dhona, what they seek is not for wealth, not for pride, not for adornment, not for decoration, but only for children. Having given birth to a child, if there are the vows, places, and boundaries of the brahmins, they do not abide in them, do not uphold them, and go beyond them. Dhona, such a brahmin is called beyond the boundaries.

"Dhona, how is a brahmin a brahmin outcast? If a brahmin is raised by his parents, born pure, and his parents' lineage is unbroken for seven generations, and he has no evil in his births, he practices the brahmacarya for forty-eight years, wishing to obtain the scriptures and recite the sutras. Having obtained the scriptures and recited the sutras, he seeks wealth to support his teacher, in accordance with the Dharma, not contrary to the Dharma. How is it contrary to the Dharma? Not farming, not commerce, not writing, not calculation, not counting, not sealing, not calligraphy, not literature, not sutras, not poetry, not using weapons, not serving the king. Seeking wealth in accordance with the Dharma, he offers the wealth to support his teacher. Having made the offering, he seeks a wife for himself, in accordance with the Dharma, not contrary to the Dharma. How is it contrary to the Dharma? A brahmin does not have such intentions towards a brahmin woman, causing them to love each other, to unite and come together. He seeks a brahmin woman, not a non-brahmin woman, nor a kshatriya woman, who is not pregnant, who does not give birth. Dhona, why does a brahmin not seek a pregnant woman? So that the man and woman are not called impure and lustful. Therefore, a brahmin does not seek a pregnant woman. Dhona, why does a brahmin not seek a woman who gives birth? So that the man and woman are not called impure and angry. Therefore, a brahmin does not seek a woman who gives birth. Dhona, what they seek is not for wealth, not for pride, not for adornment, not for decoration, but only for children. Having given birth to a child, they engage in activities associated with kings, thieves, and wrong paths, and say: 'Brahmins should do all things. Brahmins are not defiled or stained by this, just as fire burns both the pure and the impure. Brahmins should not do all things. Brahmins are not defiled or stained by this.' Dhona, such a brahmin is a brahmin outcast. Dhona, which of these five kinds of brahmins are you like? "

Dhona said, "Gautama, I am not even as good as the last kind of brahmin outcast you mentioned, let alone the others. World-Honored One, I have understood. Well-Gone One, I have understood. World-Honored One, I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha of monks. I only wish that the World-Honored One would accept me as a lay follower, from this day forward for as long as I live, taking refuge until the end of my life."

The Buddha spoke thus. The brahmin Dhona, having heard the Buddha's words, joyfully accepted and practiced them.